Vertical bearing



Nov. 28, 1933. J. D. JONES VERTICAL BEARING Filed Jan. 12, 1931 Patented Nov. 28, 1933 UNITE o STATES John D. Jones,Portland,01'- eg, Application January 12, 1931; 's iialno, 508; 186

35 looking downward.

*8'Claims. (Cl:'308170) i Y i A The present application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 361,034, filed May'7,1'929." m This invention relates to bearings, having reference more especially'to self-lubricating bear: ings for vertical shafts.

An object of my invention is to provide a simple and -efficient bearing wherein oil will be circulated between an oil reservoir and the wearing surfaces of the bearing.

A further object is to provide a bearing that will be easy to manufacture, be rugged-instructure, and will require little or no attention-for long periods of time while in service.

. A further object is to provid'eabearing that will be self-lubricating regardless of the direction of rotation of the shaft, its speed of rotation or the direction in which the load is'applied.

A further object is to provide a bearing that will not leak or'waste lubricant. v

With these and other objects in view my invention comprises a bearing embodying features of novelty which will be hereinafter described. the scope. of the invention then being" defined in 5 the appended claims.

In the drawing-- bearingembodying the principle of my invention, showing: a portion of the'associatedshaft and its thrust member.

Fig, 2 is aqtransverse section. between the bearing and the thrust member of the shaft, as 'on the line 2'2, Fig. 1, looking upward, I I I Fig. 3 is a similar section on the same line,

4 Fig. 4 is.a transverse' vertical sectionQason the line 44 of Fig. 3,- the portion'of the shaft in the bearing being broken away. I 2

Figs. 5 and 6 are transverse sections,.-as on the "5 lines 5.5 and 6 6, respectively,-of Fig. 4, the

shaft being shown in Fig. 5; 1 i

Referring to the drawings, A, Bf'desig nate two complementary parts constituting a, housing,

whereof the part A is formed on asupporting 45 bracket 10 and the part B is detachably secured to the part A by bolts 11 passing through suitably located lugs 12 on the respective parts.

In the form illustrated each of thelparts comprises spaced outer and inner-segmental Walls 13,

50 14, respectively, and alsotop and bottom portions 15-, lfi respectively. These walls are joined at their edges by radial webs 17 which are preferably ofiset as shown to afford an interlockingof the abutting surfaces of the associated parts A 5 and B. The space between theouter and inner walls of each part of; the housing isdivided into a plurality of vertical wells 18 by means of spaeed radial webs 19 which terminate short of the-bottom 1,6,.thus aifordinga basal oil reservoir 2 Q; i nterconnectingand forming a continuation of the seriesof wells;

Wi hin the-innenwaus u aislgs tairi ing liners 21 are secured,and upon the top-pf the associated parts is suitably mounted and; secured a bearing or thrust-opposing,plate- 2 21on which rests the :thrust member-23 of a vertical shaft 2 h fm nted;t 'r a min -bear n as seen in Fig. ,1.

. Pa ve ca vt O vh ft ealts r nate webs 19.and .the top of the housing; areholes 25 which communicate with corresponding 1 holes 26 extending through the bearing plate '22 ;thusafiording ducts-through which oil is carried from the reservoir to the upper surface of the plate by the pumping-actionwhich isset up by the rota tionof the; thrustmember. 23-;- on the apertured surface of the.-plate-22., ,In this way a continuous supply of. oil is maintained between the opposing surfaces of the thrust. member and the plate2-2, and this irrespective of the direction of frotation. of theshaft.

. The outer, wall .13.,01. one 6r. tne' n sin'g ats v1sprovided at a suitable.heigh t with: an oil Zfiller 27 which communicates with a, passage '28 in the Wall leading to one ofthe' ducts 25. This=filler determines the oil level 29 within: thelwell's The.u pper surface o fjthe. plate22isf'pro ded at spaced intervalswithradially-disposedfshal low pits ,or depressions 3,0 inthe bottoms ,of wh-ich are scavenging holes-31 which icommunicatewith ieadingto'the underlying wells. Hence the excess oil betweenthe opposing-surfaces of the themholes 32 formed in the top,15' of the housing and the oil in the wells'l8'a'nd reservoir 20 where it has an opportunity to dissipate any collected heat'before it is again carried to the wearing surface of thethrustropposing plate 2 2.

The lower or Wearing surfaceof th m-ta .ets .33 which aiford a multiplicity of oil-collecting ble distribution of the lubricant between the relatively moving contact surfaces of the thrust and bearing members.

pockets effective to insurea. thorough and'relia-f The WebsIQadjacent those in which the holes .28 v are formed, ,are provided with vertical holes 34 whichextend from the bottom to alplane above theoillevel29, and communicatewithradial holes 1 35 formed in such webs and leading to the surface of the shaft 24 which is mounted in the bearing. The holes 34, 35 thus afford'ducts leading from the reservoir to the surface of the shaft.

,Hence relative rotation between the shaft and the inner surface of the bearing liners 21 creates a suctionand causes a pump action effective to draw up the oil from the reservoir and deliver it through certain of the ducts 34, 35 to thesurface of the shaft depending on whichportion'of the bearing pressure is exerted by, the shaft, whence it is distributed throughout the film space between the bearing liners and the shaft as well as to the film space betweenthe co-acting surfaces of the thrust member 23 and plate 22.

Scavengingholes 36 connect the surface of the shaft betweenthe holes 35. and the oil level 29,-and hence the surplus oil on the shaft surface instead of wasting awayescapes' through the holes 36 and passes by gravity to the oil wells and'basal-reservoir wherein it is cooled before" being-pumped upward to the wearing-surfaces'. v

[The particular set of ducts 34, 35 -thr'ough which the oil is delivered'to the shaft'surfac'e depends on several factors, namely, the direction in which the load is applied, the direction of rotation,"and partially the-speed-fof rotation, which factors vary in importance somewhat'in relation V.

to their magnitude.

From the foregoing itwill be seen that-by an exceedingly simple construction-I am "enabled not only properly to lubricate the thrust and guide members of the bearing regardless of the direction of loadand the direction ofrotation'or speed of rotation of the shaft, but I'am also able quickly and thoroughly to dissipate any collected heat in the oil before its passageto the respective wearing'surfaces of the bearing;

Itwill also be seen that in certain classes of 7 "work where it is important thatno oil shall escape, such as printing-presses'paper machinery and thelilre, this construction is highly desirable, since no oil canescape' from either end ofthe bearing owing to the fact that when the oil reaches a certain point in itsdo'wnward travel.

it is returned to the reservoir and when it reaches another point onits downward travel onthe bearing, it is'intercepted and returned to thereservoir-,"'.,; f j .5 l

I, Itis desirable to provide an'oil groove 3''! near the, lowermost end of'thebearing in order completely to seal the'ibearing against leakage.

thrust, member, a "housing having at the top thereof a thrust-opposing member and'at the bot- V 'tom an oil reservoir, and a plurality of upright ducts communicating-between said'reservoir be- 1 It is'tobeunder'stood that myinvention'i's not limited to the "specific detailsjof construction herein described, as the'structure' may be rvari-.

o'usly modified within the principle'of my inven- ,tion and the scope of'the appended claims.

1: claim-, 7 Y

1.: In a bearing fora vertical shaftfhaving a lowthe level of. thecontained oil and the space be tween the wearing surfacesof the thrust-opposing rneiiiber and the thrust member, whereby the relative rotation of said members effects, the

liftin'g of oil from the reservoir to and'between the co-acting thrustsurfaces there being a plurality of scavenging openings extending from the space between the thrust member and the thrust opposin gmember v l to the oil reservoir above thelevel of the oil;

2, In abearingfor a vertical shaft having a thrust member, a housng having at the .top there n V the] oil reservoir.

the wens 1a with of a thrust-opposing member and at the bottom an oil reservoir, and a plurality of upright ducts communicating between said reservoir and the wearing surface of the thrust-opposing member,

whereby the relative rotation of said members effects the'lifting of oil from the reservoir to-and between the co-acting thrust surfaces, said thrustwpposing member having scavenging holes whereby a surplus of oil thereoncanreturn to 3. In a bearing for a vertical shaft having a thrust member, a housing having at. the top thereof a,.thrust-opposing member and at the" said thrust-opposing member having surface depressions and scavenging holes whereby a surplus. of oil can return to the oil reservoir.

' 4. The combination with a vertical shaft hav ing a thrust. member provided in its acting surface with oil pockets, of a housinghaving at its top a thrust-opposing member withwhich-the thrust member co-acts, an oil reservoinand a plurality of upright ducts'communicating be.-'. tween said reservoir and the wearing surface of the said thrust-opposingmember, said thrustopposing member having scavenging holes whereby-a surplus of oil thereon canreturn to the oil reservoir.

5. In a self-lubricating bearing for a vertical shaft having a thrust member, a housing having at the top thereof a thrust-opposing member, a vertical bearing portion within: said housing; an oil reservoir'encircling said bearing portion, and a plurality of upright ducts communicatingbetween said reservoir and-the wearing surface of the thrust-opposing member whereby the rela-'- tive rotation of said members effects the lifting of theoil from thereservoir to and between the thrust surfaces, said thrust-opposing member havingscavenging holes whereby a surplus of oil thereon canreturn to the oil reservoir;

.a plurality of oil ducts communicating betweenthe lowermost portion of said wells and a higher portion of the wearing surface of the bearing, .a plurality of oil ductscommunicating between the lowermost. portion of said wells "and the said thrust-surface, said top plate and bearing having scavenger holes therein in communication withthe oilwellsi' V "*7. A vertical bearing having-in combination a two-part housing, means for securing'thefparts together, each partvha'ving spaced apart webs which provide a plurality of vertical wells communicating with each other at the bottom -and affording a thrust surface, certain of said webs having vertical holes therein rising from the oil reservoir and having horizontal holes connecting the top of said vertical holes with the, wearing surface of the bearing, and certain of said through which'oil can-return to said oil wells, and

said bearing also having radial scavenging holes affording a continuous reservoir around each half of the bearing, and atop onjthe housing and the wearing surface of the vertical bearing; 7

said bearing having scavenging holes therein whereby a surplus of oil can return from such wearing surface. to the reservoir, and a plurality of oil ducts communicating between the lowermost portion of said-wells and the wearing surface of the thrust-opposing member, said thrustopposing member having scavenging holes therein whereby a surplus of oil thereon can return to the reservoir. Q q

'JOHN D. JONES.- 

